YEAR 10 students from Farnham Heath End School have ‘graduated’ from a transformative six-month course at the University of Surrey.

The premise of the ‘Catastrophe on Campus’ course was that a contaminant had been released on campus putting staff, students and the public in danger.

For six months, the FHES students attended university every Saturday where they had the opportunity to try a range of degree subjects including paramedic science, chemical engineering, forensic science, law, criminology, and international relations.

They also learned how to create news reports using the TV studios on campus, and took part in debates with students from other schools who were also on the course.

Throughout the course, the students were mentored by current university students which helped them learn more about the realities of university life.

One FHES student said: "As an aspiring paramedic I found the paramedic science the best part. We learned how to triage and how to deal with very sick and injured people quickly and effectively. This also encouraged me to study Paramedic Science at university.

"It was a great head-start on what university is like and it has changed me as a person in the way that I deal with everyday scenarios."

Another FHES student said: "The course allowed me to learn there are more paths and courses than I thought and helped me to find out what suited me best academically and financially."

Another added: "Our time at the university ended with a graduation. After so long of going there and being involved in so many real world, career experiences, I was certainly sad to see it over, especially toward the end with the motivation it gave me to succeed and push forward."

The five FHES students, their families, and FHES Assistant Headteacher, Dan Conquer, attended a graduation ceremony at the University of Surrey.

Farnham Heath End Principal, Stuart Maginnis, said: "Going to university for six months has been a real eye-opener for these students. They’ve learnt so much about university life and the range of subject choices that are open to them.

"We are really looking forward to taking another cohort of our students through this fantastic experience."